Gasification process



Feb, W, 1931. EA. DIETERLE GASIFICATION PROCESS 7 Filed April 7, 1925 2Sheets-Sheet 1 L Iw'ufen'ra. 4, J

Eeh. A7, 3931 E. A. DL'ETERLE GASIFICATION- PROCESS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2Filed April 7, 1925 Mi E s UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE A. DIETEBLE, OFGLEN ELL'YN, ILLINOIS GASIFICATION PROCESS Application filed 1 m 7,

The object of my invention is to present a process whereby completegasification of powdered carbonaceous material, such as coal,

lignite, peat, wood and the like, may be obtamed; involving suitableapparatus for carrying out said process, which process may be either anintermittent or-a continuous operation; the intermittentprocess-resulting in the production of a mixture of coal gas and watergas; while the continuous operation or process results in the productionof a mixture of coal gas and producer gas ,The object of my invention isto grovide'an efiicient method of complete gasi cation of the powderedmaterial in a minimum period of time and whereby the volatile matter isremoved from the powdered bituminous coal or material without exposingthe volatile constituents to an excessively high temperature.

The invention also contemplates apparatus adapted for either method ofoperation and of such construction that the temperature in theapparatus, namely in the retort portion thereof, may be controlled byany suitable meansand such temperature determined in any suitable manneras through the use of pyrometers in order that the desired amount ofcrackin of the volatile products in the retort may e effected.

The apparatus involved permits the coke residue to be converted intoblue water gas or into producer gas in the lower or generating portionor chamber of the apparatus; the apparatus involving a suitable shell,the lower end whereof constitutes the generator or producer, while theupper end constitutes the distillation portion and fixing chamber.

' The objects and advantages of my inven tion will be more fullycomprehended from a detailed description of the accompanying drawings,wherein Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view of the apparatus adaptedto practice my improved process.

Fi re 2 is across sectional view taken substantlally on the line 2--2 ofFigure 1.

Figure 3 is a cross sectional view taken substantially on the line 33 ofFigure 1.

Figure 4 is a detail view, with portions broken away and in section,taken substantially 1925, Serial No. 21,301. a

on the irregular line4-4 of Figure 2 illustrating a sector portion ofthe distillation and fixing chamber of the apparatus.

Figure 5 is a detail view in perspective of one of the tubes or flues inthe distillation and fixing chamber portion.

In the particular exemplification of the apparatus as shown in thedrawings adapted for carrying out my improved process, it comprises asuitableouter shell 10, preferably cylindrical as shown; the interiorwhereof, at

a suitable point intermediate of the top and bottom, is provided with anarch 11 preferably of fire-brick arranged to provide a plurality ofpassages 12 therethrough and having an enlarged central opening toreceive the retort 13 whlch preferably consists of a cylindrical conduitof suitable material and grad ually flares toward its'bottom as shown inFigure 1; the retort 13 extending through the top of the outer shell 10,where it is provided witha suitable head 14.

The arch 11 is also provided on its upper surface with suitabl arrangedlayers of brick or other fire resisting material 15 so as to provide acomparativelyv level surface; the brick or material 15 being formed withpassages 16 therethrough adapted to register with the passages 12 of thearch roper. The upper side of the arch, namely tl fe portion 15 thereof,in turn is provided with a series of tubes or flues 17 arrangedcircumferentially within the shell and concentric with the retort 13;the tubes or flues 17 being disposed so as to have the lower endsthereof at least partially in register with the passages 12 and 16 inthe arch portion of the apparatus as shown in Figures 1 and 2, namelywith the flues or tubes of each circular-row preferabl arranged instaggered relation with the tubes or flues of the adjacent circularrows. The tubes or flues do not extend to the top of the shell interiorand thus provide a chamber 18 in the u per end of the shell which inturn is provi ed with an outlet or off take conduit 19 which is providedwith a suitable connection at 20, to effect communication with the stack21 and also with a conveying conn tion or conduit 22 whereby the gas mayb conveyed to any desired pmt of use or further treatment; theconnection 22 being provided with a suitable valve as at 23 to controlflow through the conduit.

The head 12 is shown provided with a nozzle or sprayer element 24, whichhas connection with a suitable hopper or bin 25 and which receives thepulverized carbonaceous material, namely coal, lignite, peat and thelike. The hopper or bin is provided with suitable means, such as shownat 26, which may be operated from any suitable source of power and at asuitable speed while the apparatus is in operation in order to induce apositive constant feed of the owdered coal on to the conveyor 27, whichli ewise may be operated by any suitable motive power and in anyconvenient manner as by belt on the pulley shown at 28. The nozzle 24 isshown provided with a pipe 29, which may be connected either with an airsupply, steam supply or with a suitable gas supply adapted to bedischarged into the nozzle 24 and induce a proper spraying or injectionof the powdered material; the pipe 29 being provided with a suitablevalve as at 30. The head 14 is also shown provided with a conduit 31adapted for the introduction of additional gas, preferably in a hotstate, where the apparatus is,intended for the enriching of gas, namelythe gas admitted by the pipe 31, or to aid in distillation. On the otherhand, the ipe 31 may be employed for the admission 0 air to assist oraid in heating the retort portion of the apparatus and therefore to aidin the distillation of the material, by incomplete combustion.

c The shell 10, at points just beneath the arch 11, is shown providedwith conduits 32 and 33 intended more especially for the admission ofsecondary air; and the apparatus ad]acent to the arch, namely in theupper end of the generator portion thereof, is also shown provided withan inlet pipe 34 which s preferably intended for the introduction ofsteam. I

The lower or water gas generating portion of the apparatus is shownprovided with a grate 35 supported in any suitable manner and the sidewall of the shell is provided with a clinker door 36, provided for theremoval of ash and clinker at the bottom of the lower chamber orgenerator portion of the apparatus. The lower portion is provided withan inner bottom or partition 37 suitably supported and preferablyprovided with a layer of refractory material or brick as shown; theinnerbottom being formed with an opening 38 at the center, preferablysurrounded by an annular upstanding flange 39. This inner bottom 37 isprovided for the purpose of catching the ash; while the opening 38 isprovided for the passage of the air forced into the chamber beneath theinner bottom and also for the purpose of enabling down-run water gas tomake its exit when the apparatus is so employed.

The water gas generating chamber be neath the gratebar and above theinner bottom 37 is shown provided with a steam inlet 40; while thechamber beneath the inner bottom 37 is shown provided with an inlet 41for the admission of air for blasting the fire until the fuel in thegeneratorhas been brought upto incandescence or up to any desiredtemperature. This lower portion or chamber beneath the inner bottom 37is provided with a door 42 and this lower chamber is also provided withan off take conduit 43 having a suitable valve at 44.

The connection 20, at the upper end of the apparatus, namely the openingwhich communicates with the stack 21, is provided with a suitablestack-valve 45.

When the apparatus is employed for the practice of an intermittentprocess, namely for the production of the mixture of coal gas and watergas, the fire in the water gas generating chamber is usually startedwith wood or any other suitable material and coke gradually added untilthe coke level is reached as indicated by the dotted line in Figure 1 ata, namely at a point just beneath the upper clean-out door indicated at46' the natural draft through the apparatus being used during thisinitial or preliminary heating of the apparatus. The cycle of running oroperation in the intermittent process consists of an air blast periodand a steam run period; and after the coke level, as previouslystated,'has been reached, the fire is then blasted with air through theblast pipe 41 until the fuel reaches incandescence or the desiredtemperature. After the fuel reaches the desired temperature, it will beunderstood that the pulverized material or coal from hopper or bin 25 isthen fed into the retort 13; being sprayed into the retort through thenozzle 24 by the admission of a suitable medium through pipe 29. Withthe retort and upper portion of the apparatus heated to a propertemperature, the pulverized material discharged into the retort 13 bymeans of the nozzle will be sprayed into contact with the heated wallsof the retort and induce distillation of the pulverized carbonaceous material or coal and a conversion into coke. The liberated coal gas, aswell as the small particles of coke, pass out through the lower end ofthe retort 13 and into the water gas generating chamber; the cokearticles falling on to the heated mass in t e generator, while the gas 2ses up through the various fines or tubes 1 During the practice of thismethod, the producer gas made during the air blow period may be burnedunder the arch 11 by admitting secondary air through the conduits orpipes 32, 33; the hot products of combustion assing upward throu h thetubes or flues l as well as around t e tubes or flues and around theretort 13, transferring' heat to the flues, and thence out to theconnection 19 and into the stack 21, if stackvalve 45 is open and'valve23 in connection 22 closed. The gas, produced during the blow period,may be conducted to additional heating apparatus or surfaces if desired,b

closing valve 45 and opening valve 23. It is evident from theconstruction and method of operation that the various tubes or flues l7and the retort 13 (or a number of retorts if desired) will all be heatedto any desired temperature by means of the sensible heat andthecombustion of the producer gas formed in the water gas generatingchamber durin 'what may be termed the air blow perio a a On the otherhand, with the apparatus in gas producing condition, the stack-valve 45is closed and valve 23 opened, so that the water gas generated may flowthrough conduit 22 either to additional heating surfaces if desired,such as a carburetor in acarburetted water gas set, or to any desiredpoint. The air blast through inlet 41 being now shut ofl, the runproceeds; steam being admitted under the grate bars 3,5 by-means ofinlet 40 assist in distillation of the pulverized mateand decomposed inpassing upward through the incandescent coke on the grate-bars, therebyforming blue water gas, while at the same time helping to drive 011' anyvolatile matter which still remains in the coke. At the same time, thepulverized fuel or coal is fed from the hopper 25 by the conveyor intothe nozzle 24, which, as previously stated, injects or sprays thepulverized material into the retort. This spraying action may beaccomplished by admitting gas (such as blue water gas or air or steam,through the small ipe 29, if desired. Additional gas, such as oil gasand natural gas preferably hot, may also be admitted through the largerpipe 31 into the nozzle for g enriching the gas admitted through pipe 31or to aid in distillation. If air is introduced it would aid in'heatingthe retort as well as rial. The rich gases, resulting from this operation, escape from the bottom of the retort 13 and mix with the leangases arising from the water gasgeneratingchamber of the apparatus; themixture of the rich and lean gases then pass upward through and. aroundthe heated tubes or flues 17 thereby subjecting the volatileconstituents to further cracking action by reason of their travel overand in contact with the hot surfaces of the flues, causing a fixing ofthe gas. This mixture or fixed gas is then taken from the apparatusthrough the outlet 19 and conveyed by conduit 22 (stack-valve 45 beingclosed and valve 23 being opened) to any suitable-point of storage oruse, or if desired to a second heating unit employing heating fluessomewhat sim- 1 so as to bring it into contact with additional heatedsurfaces or flues as shown, the gas' withdrawn through the outlet 19will be in a finished condition and may therefore be immediatelyconveyed to the necessary scrubbers and purifiers to remove theimpurities from the crude gas. In this intermittent process, when it isdesired to produce blue water gas (steam being admitted instead of air),the air blast 41 at the bottom of the apparatus is shut ofi ;-while inthe production of the blow gas, the air blast 41 is opened and the valve44 in the conduit or outlet 43 is closed as, of course, is also the casewith the stack-valve 45. v

In case it is desired to make a down-run, namely with steam introducedand passing down into the hot coke bed, steam is admitted through theinlet 34 and the steam,

with the coal gas coming from the retort 13,

composed and blue water gas to be formed.

During this operation, the combined mixture leaves the apparatus bypassing through the grate-bars into the lowermost chamber and is takenoil? through conduit 43. It will be understood, of course, thatduringthis operation, valve 23 in outlet 22 as well asthe stack-valve 45 areclosed.

During what may be termed'a steam uprun, at which time steam is admittedthrough steam inet 40, the vave 44 in outlet 43 is closed and valve 23in outlet 22 is open and stack valve 45 is closed. It will beunderstood, of course, that during the air blast period the stack-valve45 is opened while valves 23 and 44 are closed. Valve 44 and stack-valve45 are closed while valve 23' is open when the apparatus is employed formaking producer as. r

The fine particles of coked material, from which the rich volatilematter has been withmass of coke. The coke level and condition may beobserved and the coke broken up and leveled from time to time by openingthe door 46; this door being also provided to permit the (preliminarycharging of the apparatus an also to enable the removal of any sideclinker from the generator wall lining when same occurs. It will beunderstood that the rate of feed from the hopper is regulated oradjusted to supply the proper amount of coked material to the eneratorto maintain a level of coke or car naceous material under a given set ofconditions for operation.

When employing the apparatus for the operation of a continuous processfor the production of producer gas, a fire is built on the grate-bars aspreviously mentioned while the coke level may be at a lower stage ifdesired; and after the apparatus is thoroughly heated the fineparticlesof coke coming from the retort 13 may be gasified by means of the airblast before they reach the gratebars. This producer gas formed in thelower chamber or generator portion then mixes with the gas formed by thedistillation of the fine particles in the retort, as it leaves thebottom of the retort 13 and the mixture passes up through and about thehot flues or tubes 17 as described in the former operation. In the eventthat the sensible heat from the producer gas coming from the lowerchamber or generator portion is insufiicient to maintain the propertemperature for distillation of the fine particles of carbonaceousmaterial in the retort and a further cracking of the hydrocarbons in theupper chamber, a portion of the gas may be burned beneath the arch byadmitting secondary air through the conduits 32 and 33. With my improvedapparatus and process when coal is used a rich producer gas is obtainedconsisting of a mixture of coal gas and producer gas.

I have shown and described apparatus em-- bodying my invention andwhereby my improved process may be carried out, having described theexemplification and process in terms employed merely as terms ofdescription and not as terms of limitation, as modifications arepossible and may be made without, however, departing from the, spirit ofmy invention.

lVhat I claim is:

A process of making mixed water gas and coal gas, which consists inproviding a hot bed of solid carbonaceous fuel by intermittentlv.blasting with air, causing steam to intermittently pass upwardlythrough said hot carbonaceous fuel, intermittently introducing powderedcarbonaceous material above said hot fuel by causing the powderedmaterial to pass downwardly through a vertically disposed retort locatedabove the hot carbonaceous fuel and heated externally by the rising hotgenerated gases to effect distillation of the powdered material beforeit encounters saidhot'fuel and the generated blue water gas, subjectingthe resultant gases and entrained vapors to further fixing by passingthe same through vertically arranged felongated heated passages dis osedabove the carbonaceous fuel bed and a out said retort.

EDWARD A. DIETERLE.

